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Serbia's Academics Outraged over Limits to Research, Disappointed by EU Response

Serbia's Academics Outraged over Limits to Research, Disappointed by EU Response

Academics in Serbia are up in arms over a sudden move by the government to limit the time university lecturers can spend on research. Previously allowed to spend 20 hours a week on research, they will now be limited to just five hours.Critics of the new regulation point out that the move effectively invalidates the official accreditation of all public universities in Serbia, since this requires university staff to reserve half their working hours for research.

Commission Pushes to Water Down Gender Mainstreaming in Horizon Europe

Commission Pushes to Water Down Gender Mainstreaming in Horizon Europe

The European Commission wants to water down gender mainstreaming requirements in Horizon Europe despite facing resistance from member states and research stakeholders. The changes proposed by the Commission are set to come into effect in 2025, with member states invited to endorse the revamped rules in a vote on the whole Horizon Europe work programme for the year.

Swiss Take Further Step Towards Horizon Europe Association

Swiss Take Further Step Towards Horizon Europe Association

Switzerland's Federal Council has signed off an agreement that will allow the country to join Horizon Europe, another step towards ending a diplomatic stalemate over association that has dragged on since 2021. On April 9, the council approved the EU Programmes Agreement, which allows association to Horizon Europe, the Euratom atomic research programme and the Digital Europe Programme. 

EU Should Attract More US Scientists, MEPs Say

EU Should Attract More US Scientists, MEPs Say

Many MEPs have called on the Commission to increase efforts to attract US scientists affected by budget cuts and political interference in academia and research. They see the current geopolitical context as a chance for the EU to present itself as an international beacon for academic freedom.

Europe Scrambles to Help Researchers Escape Trump

Europe Scrambles to Help Researchers Escape Trump

EU science ministers are calling on the European Commission to stand ready to welcome US researchers threatened by Donald Trump's ongoing tightening of restrictions on US science and provide them with concrete opportunities to pursue their work.

Left MEPs Raise Concerns over Horizon Europe Funding to Israel

Left MEPs Raise Concerns over Horizon Europe Funding to Israel

MEPs in the European Parliament's Left political group have criticised the flow of Horizon Europe research funding to Israel, and the overall shift in emphasis towards the programme supporting economic competitiveness. Israel has long been an associated country to the Framework Programmes, meaning its scientists can participate on an equal basis to their EU counterparts, both leading projects and receiving money. But this has become particularly controversial since the country's attack on Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas assault on Israel in October 2023. 

Parliament Set for Showdown with Commission over Standalone FP10

Parliament Set for Showdown with Commission over Standalone FP10

The European Parliament has adopted a report calling for a standalone research Framework Programme in the next long-term EU budget. This lays the ground for a conflict with the European Commission, which is expected to place the programme within a broader EU Competitiveness Fund.

Europe Could Be a 'Haven' for US Researchers, Says ERC President

Europe Could Be a 'Haven' for US Researchers, Says ERC President

The EU's research funding bodies are thinking of ways to welcome US scientists and European ex-patriots who might be looking for a more sympathetic place to work now that Donald Trump is in the White House. This mirrors discussions at the national level of possible "repatriation awards" and the expansion of programmes to attract American scientists.

Leptin Calls for a Doubling of the ERC Budget

Leptin Calls for a Doubling of the ERC Budget

With concern for the future of the European Research Council (ERC) still in the air, its president Maria Leptin has called on the European Parliament to protect the council from attacks on its freedom and its resources. "My message today is simple: an independent ERC with a doubled budget in the next MFF [Multiannual Financial Framework] is a strategic investment," she told MEPs on the Industry, Research and Energy Committee on February 19. 

Commission R&I Chief Declines to Confirm Standalone FP10

Commission R&I Chief Declines to Confirm Standalone FP10

Marc Lemaître expects “radical reduction in the number of instruments under the EU budget”.

FP10 Will Happen, Says Leading MEP

FP10 Will Happen, Says Leading MEP

A leading member of the European Parliament has reassured the research and innovation community that there will be an FP10, despite concerns that the next EU research Framework Programme could be swallowed up in a political drive to boost economic competitiveness."There will be a Framework Programme 10," said Christian Ehler, a prominent member of the Parliament's research and industry committee, at the annual Science|Business conference on Thursday. 

Leaked EU Competitiveness Plan Prompts Concerns over ERC Independence

Leaked EU Competitiveness Plan Prompts Concerns over ERC Independence

A leaked EU competitiveness strategy is prompting fears that Brussels intends to undermine the independence of the European Research Council by pushing for more alignment with the European Innovation Council and the EU's broader political goals.

Experts Warn of Fragmentation in Global Collaboration for Innovation

Experts Warn of Fragmentation in Global Collaboration for Innovation

Global collaboration around innovation and technology is still growing, but the sector is at risk of fragmentation amid heightened competition, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned in its second annual Global Cooperation Barometer.

‘Absolutely Crucial’ to Increase ERC Budget in FP10

‘Absolutely Crucial’ to Increase ERC Budget in FP10

Czech Republic paper on Framework Programme 10 also criticises overly large projects and personnel costs

Swiss Association to Horizon Europe Faces Referendum Challenge by 2028

Swiss Association to Horizon Europe Faces Referendum Challenge by 2028

Switzerland could once again fall out of the EU's Horizon Europe research programme if voters reject a wider, underpinning deal in a likely 2026 or 2028 referendum, the leaders of the country's biggest research funding agency have warned. An overarching deal between Brussels and Bern expected this week should allow Swiss researchers to finally fully participate in Horizon Europe, after years of political squabbles locked them out of certain parts of the programme since it began in 2021. 

Step Up Geoengineering Research, EU Science Advisers Recommend

Step Up Geoengineering Research, EU Science Advisers Recommend

The EU's panel of science advisers has called for more research into geoengineering, to understand the feasibility - and potential risks - of trying to block out the sun to cool a warming earth. 

A Science Mega-programme is Taking Shape in the EU: What It Means for Researchers

A Science Mega-programme is Taking Shape in the EU: What It Means for Researchers

A new research commissioner will help to build the European Union's next massive science scheme - with a renewed focus on innovation.